We collect nothing about you or the children on the bus.
Summary
BusRoute does not collect personal data about drivers, passengers, or anyone else. The app does contact two servers operated by BusRoute for specific, limited purposes described below. No data is sold or shared with third parties.
Server contacts
The app communicates with servers hosted by BusRoute in two situations:
- Route computation — when a regular driver exports a route profile, the app sends GPS coordinate sequences to osrm.busroute.app to compute turn-by-turn road directions. These are sets of latitude/longitude pairs representing the recorded path; they contain no personally identifiable information. The server processes the coordinates and returns routing instructions. No coordinate data is stored on the server after the response is returned.
- Licence key activation — when a driver enters a licence key, the app requests location permission before proceeding. GPS access is required for the app to function — route recording and substitute guidance both depend on it entirely. The app contacts osrm.busroute.app/api/v1/activate and sends three items: the licence key, a randomly-generated device identifier (not linked to any hardware ID or personal identity), and the device's GPS position at the moment of activation. The device identifier is what enforces licence limits; each activation is counted against the number of licence keys purchased by that company. The GPS position at activation is displayed on an activation map visible to both BusRoute administration and, through a dedicated dashboard, the bus company that purchased the licence. The bus company can see the approximate location and date of each driver's activation, along with a count of how many of their purchased licence keys have been activated. Activation coordinates are also used to detect unusual patterns such as the same key being activated from geographically distant locations simultaneously. The device identifier and key are retained on the licensing server for the duration of the licence period.
Data stored on your device
All route data — GPS stop positions, arrival times, student counts, route notes — is stored locally on the device where it was recorded. It leaves the device only when you explicitly share a route file via the device's own share mechanism (email, WhatsApp, etc.). BusRoute has no access to shared files once they leave the device.
Student information
BusRoute handles no personally identifiable student information. The only student-related data stored is an anonymous aggregate count ("4 students expected at this stop"). No names, photos, or identifying information of any kind is collected or stored.
Location data
The app uses GPS location while recording a route (Learn run mode) and while providing guidance (Substitute run mode). Location data is used in real time to detect stops and compute approach bearings. It is stored on-device as part of the route profile. Location is transmitted to the routing server only in the form of anonymised coordinate sequences during route computation, as described above. The device's GPS position at the time of licence activation is also transmitted to the licensing server, as described above.
Permissions requested
- Location (foreground and background) — required to enter and use the app. Location permission is requested at the time of licence key activation and must be granted before the app can be used. It is used for stop detection during route recording, for continuous guidance during a substitute run, and to record the device's position at the moment of licence activation. Background location permission allows GPS to remain active when the screen is locked during a substitute run.
Data sharing
BusRoute does not sell, share, or disclose data to any third party. Route files shared by users travel via the user's own chosen mechanism (email, WhatsApp, etc.) and are not accessible to or retained by BusRoute.
Data retention
Route data is stored on the user's device until deleted by the user. Route profiles expire automatically after 105 days and become inoperable in Substitute mode. All app data can be deleted at any time via the device's standard app settings or by uninstalling the app. The device identifier and licence activation record are retained on the licensing server for the duration of the licence period.
Children's privacy
BusRoute is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. The app is used exclusively by licensed bus drivers and bus company staff.
Governing law
This policy is governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Contact
Questions about this policy: klaas@busroute.app